This one’s a lot shorter than my other chapters, as I just noticed halfway through writing it, only cause there’s really only one thing going on in it. The next few chapters will probably be, too, just for the same reason, so for those who prefer that, you’re in luckxd For those who don’t mind my usual length, these chapters will be giving some insight into the combat prowess of the competition, plus I’ll be introducing two other teams from the Cloud and Mist villages a few chapters down the road, so you’ve got that to look forward toxd Well, enjoy
Here’s my previous chapters, for those who missed any:
Chapter 013: Record Time
As the large herd of giant leeches moved closer and closer to Naruto’s grandchildren, so too did the backs of the three young genin to those of their siblings, until they were standing shoulder to shoulder. Seeing no way out herself, Inase called out to her eldest brother to see if he had any ideas of his own.
Inase: Uh, Airon!? What do we do!?
Not receiving an answer, she turned around to face him, only to find that he was no longer standing beside her and Kei. Simultaneously, she noticed that a large number of leeches were now covered in shuriken, while several more were presently incurring the wrath of Airon’s sword. Quickly noticing that his siblings were still standing around, Airon called out to them to begin fighting back.
Airon: Kei, start using clones and kunai! Inase, use your Rotation!
Without question or concern, Kei immediately complied and formed the hand seal for his grandfather’s signature jutsu, while Inase activated her Byakugan.
Kei: Shadow Clone Jutsu!
Within seconds, what began as a team of three became a team of over three hundred, each clone quickly pulling out a kunai before going to work on the swarm of massive parasites. Meanwhile, Inase leaped straight into the center of the horde before utilizing her grandmother’s teachings.
Inase: Rotation!
Starting out relatively slow and then building up her speed over the course of a few seconds, the resulting shockwave of chakra sent every leech within thirty feet of Inase flying, and once she came to a full stop, she pulled out two kunai and began picking off any that still remained. The entire process consumed well over fifteen minutes, but at long last, the three genin finally managed to dispose of every single leech in the vicinity.
Kei: Heh ha, yeah! Now THAT’S what I’m talking about! Putting the smackdown on some-
His celebration was cut short, though, as Airon’s katana passed directly in front of his face, aimed at one final leech perched on the tree beside him. Kei noticed this and, although Airon hit his mark, it didn’t stop him from jumping back in a state of panic, not even attempting to maintain himself as he pointed incessantly and comically at his brother.
Kei: WHOA!! WHOA!! Not cool, man! Not cool!
Airon: (Hardly phased, he smirked amusedly as he walked over to reclaim his sword, patting Kei on the shoulder as he pulled it from the tree and returned it to its sheath.) Calm down, little brother. You know I wasn’t aiming for you.
Kei: (Although true that he was indeed aware of this fact, he continued grumbling over the ordeal just for the sake of it, …yet another negative trait received from their grandfather.) Grrrggrrrgghhh, still could’ve given a heads-up or something, you jerk.
Airon: (His mind stuck on something more urgent at the moment, he paid no heed to his brother’s mumbling and turned instead to their sister.) …Now then, how are our friends, Inase? Are they still in your range?
Inase: (Already in the process of scanning every inch of terrain within her impressive 1,200-meter limit, it didn’t take long for her to locate Team Suzaku.) Yeah, but just barely. …It looks like they were waiting for us.
Airon: (Not expecting anything less from them, he chuckled softly to himself before giving Inase further instructions.) Hmhmhm, well, we’d better not keep them waiting, then. Just lead the way.
With that, the triplets left the small area of the forest just as they had came, leaving a mass of dead leeches in their wake.
Nearly 3,500 feet from the trio’s location, Minto, Taigen, and Nakama had indeed brought their own journey to a halt, in order for their friends to meet up with them. Hardly twenty-five minutes had passed since they entered the forest, but their extended knowledge of one another’s abilities made it more than enough to cause them to worry.
Nakama: …They seem to be taking a rather long time. …Maybe we’re out of Inase’s range.
Minto: Eh, I don’t think we’ve gone that far in yet. …Man, this is taking longer than I would’ve expected from them. They’re supposed to be three of the fastest genin here.
Nakama: (Before she could reply to Minto, she realized that the third member of their team had been scanning the nearby trees attentively for some time now.) Taigen? What is it?
Minto: …Someone coming?
Taigen: (He opened his mouth slightly to address his teammates’ inquiries, but closed it again before his answer could surface.) …No. It’s alright. There’s no other teams close by at the moment.
????: You sure about that?
Before Minto could turn around to see who had said this, the mysterious figure threw his arm around him and held a kunai up to his neck. …Needless to say, he immediately discarded all rational thought and began to panic.
Minto: AHHHH!!! NAKAMA, TAIGEN, HELP ME!!! HELP…uhhh…
Much to his confusion, rather than expressing alarm or fear for their teammate, Nakama held her hand up to her brow as she lowered her head, attempting to hide the fact that she was giggling uncontrollably, and Taigen was forced to cover his mouth and turn the other way to hide his own amused expression. …Catching on almost immediately, Minto reached over his shoulder and smacked Airon on the back of his head.
Minto: YOU IDIOT!! What the heck is your problem!?
The joke now over, Kei and Inase came out of hiding, as well, leaping down from two nearby trees. The former seemed ready to double over with laughter, while the latter mimicked Nakama’s actions, trying to hide the fact that she, too, found this unbelievably funny. Rubbing the back of his head, Airon now attempted to apologize for his actions, all the while trying desperately to control his own laughter.
Airon: Hehehahahahaha, Minto, come on! I couldn’t help it!
Minto: I almost choked on my mint, you moron! But, I guess that couldn’t be helped, either!
Airon: (Starting to build up some feeling of remorse, he regained some of his self-control and continued to apologize.) Hehehe, alright, alright. I’m sorry, okay? …Come here, man.
He held his arms out to try and embrace his friend, but Minto merely shrugged him off, still irritated and slightly disappointed at his childishness.
Minto: Don’t touch me, Airon.
Airon: (Knowing he would eventually give in, he continued his attempts, all the while adopting an increasingly more playful tone.) Come on.
Minto: I said knock it off.
Airon: Come oooonnn.
Minto: (Now forced to cover his face to hide his own laughter, he gave in to Airon’s persistence, though an air of agitation was still present.) I hate you, man.
Airon: No, you don’t.
Minto: …Huhhh, …alright, fine, I don’t. …And where were you, Taigen!? I thought you said nobody was around!
Taigen: (His laughter had nearly ceased by this point, but this remark from Minto quickly brought some of it back.) I did, but…hehehehe…he told me to say that.
Minto: (Almost expecting this, though somewhat disappointed that he didn’t realize it sooner, he rubbed his eyes irritatingly as a smirk slowly formed on his face.) Huhhhh, …why am I not surprised? …Alright, so now that we’re all here, I take it most of us were hoping to beat that record?
Kei: (Eager to start moving, he slammed his fist into his left hand to express this to the rest of the group.) Heh ha, you’d better believe it! I could get run ten kilometers in ninety minutes in my sleep!
Inase: Hmhm, don’t be too brash, Kei. We’ve only got about an hour now and both of our teams still need to get a second scroll.
Airon: Hmhmhm, don’t worry about that. I’d wager we have those scrolls within the next fifteen minutes.
Nakama: Hm? And how do you figure that?
Inase: (Also intrigued by her brother’s estimations, she quickly began scanning their surroundings with her Byakugan.) …Actually, he might be right. There are three or four other teams within my range, …all with relatively weak chakra.
Airon: (Pleased to hear this, he reached into his jacket and pulled out two small paper seals before handing them to Nakama and Inase.) Well, we don’t want to take any chances if we plan to break the Kazekage’s record, so we’ll just make this quick and simple. Here, take these. Inase, which of those teams are closest to the tower?
Inase: (Slapping the seal against her wrist, she reactivated her Byakugan to ensure she gives Airon proper coordinates.) Uhhh, there’s one about fourteen degrees to the west around seven hundred meters away, then there’s another one twenty-nine degrees to the north for about nine hundred meters.
Airon: Perfect. Alright, I’ll take the second team and Nakama’ll go after the first one. The rest of you, just keep heading for the tower and we’ll meet up with you when we’ve obtained the scrolls. Inase, I need you to keep us posted on those two teams, though, just in case they start moving again. If you can, also keep an eye out for more teams, as well, in case one of us finds the wrong type of scroll.
Inase: Got it.
Minto: Why just you and Nakama? Why don’t we just split into two teams and go after the scrolls?
Airon: We need someone to stay on the right path, so that we don’t lose time, and we don’t need more people straying off that path than is absolutely necessary.
Kei: Well then, why send off you and Nakama? I’ll go after one of the teams myself. I’m faster than Nakama, anyways.
Airon: Nakama and I will be better off on our own than the rest of you. If you end up running into someone you can’t defeat on your own, we’ll be forced to waste time trying to help you. Remember, we only complete the stage if the three of us are together when we reach the tower, so we can’t just wait for you to try and catch up with us.
Kei: (Though aggravated by the fact that Airon was seemingly implying that he couldn’t fight an entire team on his own, he wasn’t blind to the truth of his words and eventually complied with them.) Rrrgh…yeah, fine. I guess it’s better that way.
Airon: (Seeing that Kei was still somewhat disappointed, he walked over and threw his arm around him to provide him with some reassurance.) You’ll get your chance to shine, Kei. I guarantee it. …Alright, we have our plan and we have about an hour to get it done. Let’s head out!
Kei, Inase, Minto, Taigen, and Nakama: Right!
Their plan now set in motion, Airon and Nakama took off on their designated paths, while the rest of their group continued onward towards the tower, their sights now fixed on the record set by the Fifth Kazekage over forty years ago.
The race is on to beat Gaara’s record!!!
The End
Here’s my previous chapters, for those who missed any:
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Chapter 013: Record Time
As the large herd of giant leeches moved closer and closer to Naruto’s grandchildren, so too did the backs of the three young genin to those of their siblings, until they were standing shoulder to shoulder. Seeing no way out herself, Inase called out to her eldest brother to see if he had any ideas of his own.
Inase: Uh, Airon!? What do we do!?
Not receiving an answer, she turned around to face him, only to find that he was no longer standing beside her and Kei. Simultaneously, she noticed that a large number of leeches were now covered in shuriken, while several more were presently incurring the wrath of Airon’s sword. Quickly noticing that his siblings were still standing around, Airon called out to them to begin fighting back.
Airon: Kei, start using clones and kunai! Inase, use your Rotation!
Without question or concern, Kei immediately complied and formed the hand seal for his grandfather’s signature jutsu, while Inase activated her Byakugan.
Kei: Shadow Clone Jutsu!
Within seconds, what began as a team of three became a team of over three hundred, each clone quickly pulling out a kunai before going to work on the swarm of massive parasites. Meanwhile, Inase leaped straight into the center of the horde before utilizing her grandmother’s teachings.
Inase: Rotation!
Starting out relatively slow and then building up her speed over the course of a few seconds, the resulting shockwave of chakra sent every leech within thirty feet of Inase flying, and once she came to a full stop, she pulled out two kunai and began picking off any that still remained. The entire process consumed well over fifteen minutes, but at long last, the three genin finally managed to dispose of every single leech in the vicinity.
Kei: Heh ha, yeah! Now THAT’S what I’m talking about! Putting the smackdown on some-
His celebration was cut short, though, as Airon’s katana passed directly in front of his face, aimed at one final leech perched on the tree beside him. Kei noticed this and, although Airon hit his mark, it didn’t stop him from jumping back in a state of panic, not even attempting to maintain himself as he pointed incessantly and comically at his brother.
Kei: WHOA!! WHOA!! Not cool, man! Not cool!
Airon: (Hardly phased, he smirked amusedly as he walked over to reclaim his sword, patting Kei on the shoulder as he pulled it from the tree and returned it to its sheath.) Calm down, little brother. You know I wasn’t aiming for you.
Kei: (Although true that he was indeed aware of this fact, he continued grumbling over the ordeal just for the sake of it, …yet another negative trait received from their grandfather.) Grrrggrrrgghhh, still could’ve given a heads-up or something, you jerk.
Airon: (His mind stuck on something more urgent at the moment, he paid no heed to his brother’s mumbling and turned instead to their sister.) …Now then, how are our friends, Inase? Are they still in your range?
Inase: (Already in the process of scanning every inch of terrain within her impressive 1,200-meter limit, it didn’t take long for her to locate Team Suzaku.) Yeah, but just barely. …It looks like they were waiting for us.
Airon: (Not expecting anything less from them, he chuckled softly to himself before giving Inase further instructions.) Hmhmhm, well, we’d better not keep them waiting, then. Just lead the way.
With that, the triplets left the small area of the forest just as they had came, leaving a mass of dead leeches in their wake.
Nearly 3,500 feet from the trio’s location, Minto, Taigen, and Nakama had indeed brought their own journey to a halt, in order for their friends to meet up with them. Hardly twenty-five minutes had passed since they entered the forest, but their extended knowledge of one another’s abilities made it more than enough to cause them to worry.
Nakama: …They seem to be taking a rather long time. …Maybe we’re out of Inase’s range.
Minto: Eh, I don’t think we’ve gone that far in yet. …Man, this is taking longer than I would’ve expected from them. They’re supposed to be three of the fastest genin here.
Nakama: (Before she could reply to Minto, she realized that the third member of their team had been scanning the nearby trees attentively for some time now.) Taigen? What is it?
Minto: …Someone coming?
Taigen: (He opened his mouth slightly to address his teammates’ inquiries, but closed it again before his answer could surface.) …No. It’s alright. There’s no other teams close by at the moment.
????: You sure about that?
Before Minto could turn around to see who had said this, the mysterious figure threw his arm around him and held a kunai up to his neck. …Needless to say, he immediately discarded all rational thought and began to panic.
Minto: AHHHH!!! NAKAMA, TAIGEN, HELP ME!!! HELP…uhhh…
Much to his confusion, rather than expressing alarm or fear for their teammate, Nakama held her hand up to her brow as she lowered her head, attempting to hide the fact that she was giggling uncontrollably, and Taigen was forced to cover his mouth and turn the other way to hide his own amused expression. …Catching on almost immediately, Minto reached over his shoulder and smacked Airon on the back of his head.
Minto: YOU IDIOT!! What the heck is your problem!?
The joke now over, Kei and Inase came out of hiding, as well, leaping down from two nearby trees. The former seemed ready to double over with laughter, while the latter mimicked Nakama’s actions, trying to hide the fact that she, too, found this unbelievably funny. Rubbing the back of his head, Airon now attempted to apologize for his actions, all the while trying desperately to control his own laughter.
Airon: Hehehahahahaha, Minto, come on! I couldn’t help it!
Minto: I almost choked on my mint, you moron! But, I guess that couldn’t be helped, either!
Airon: (Starting to build up some feeling of remorse, he regained some of his self-control and continued to apologize.) Hehehe, alright, alright. I’m sorry, okay? …Come here, man.
He held his arms out to try and embrace his friend, but Minto merely shrugged him off, still irritated and slightly disappointed at his childishness.
Minto: Don’t touch me, Airon.
Airon: (Knowing he would eventually give in, he continued his attempts, all the while adopting an increasingly more playful tone.) Come on.
Minto: I said knock it off.
Airon: Come oooonnn.
Minto: (Now forced to cover his face to hide his own laughter, he gave in to Airon’s persistence, though an air of agitation was still present.) I hate you, man.
Airon: No, you don’t.
Minto: …Huhhh, …alright, fine, I don’t. …And where were you, Taigen!? I thought you said nobody was around!
Taigen: (His laughter had nearly ceased by this point, but this remark from Minto quickly brought some of it back.) I did, but…hehehehe…he told me to say that.
Minto: (Almost expecting this, though somewhat disappointed that he didn’t realize it sooner, he rubbed his eyes irritatingly as a smirk slowly formed on his face.) Huhhhh, …why am I not surprised? …Alright, so now that we’re all here, I take it most of us were hoping to beat that record?
Kei: (Eager to start moving, he slammed his fist into his left hand to express this to the rest of the group.) Heh ha, you’d better believe it! I could get run ten kilometers in ninety minutes in my sleep!
Inase: Hmhm, don’t be too brash, Kei. We’ve only got about an hour now and both of our teams still need to get a second scroll.
Airon: Hmhmhm, don’t worry about that. I’d wager we have those scrolls within the next fifteen minutes.
Nakama: Hm? And how do you figure that?
Inase: (Also intrigued by her brother’s estimations, she quickly began scanning their surroundings with her Byakugan.) …Actually, he might be right. There are three or four other teams within my range, …all with relatively weak chakra.
Airon: (Pleased to hear this, he reached into his jacket and pulled out two small paper seals before handing them to Nakama and Inase.) Well, we don’t want to take any chances if we plan to break the Kazekage’s record, so we’ll just make this quick and simple. Here, take these. Inase, which of those teams are closest to the tower?
Inase: (Slapping the seal against her wrist, she reactivated her Byakugan to ensure she gives Airon proper coordinates.) Uhhh, there’s one about fourteen degrees to the west around seven hundred meters away, then there’s another one twenty-nine degrees to the north for about nine hundred meters.
Airon: Perfect. Alright, I’ll take the second team and Nakama’ll go after the first one. The rest of you, just keep heading for the tower and we’ll meet up with you when we’ve obtained the scrolls. Inase, I need you to keep us posted on those two teams, though, just in case they start moving again. If you can, also keep an eye out for more teams, as well, in case one of us finds the wrong type of scroll.
Inase: Got it.
Minto: Why just you and Nakama? Why don’t we just split into two teams and go after the scrolls?
Airon: We need someone to stay on the right path, so that we don’t lose time, and we don’t need more people straying off that path than is absolutely necessary.
Kei: Well then, why send off you and Nakama? I’ll go after one of the teams myself. I’m faster than Nakama, anyways.
Airon: Nakama and I will be better off on our own than the rest of you. If you end up running into someone you can’t defeat on your own, we’ll be forced to waste time trying to help you. Remember, we only complete the stage if the three of us are together when we reach the tower, so we can’t just wait for you to try and catch up with us.
Kei: (Though aggravated by the fact that Airon was seemingly implying that he couldn’t fight an entire team on his own, he wasn’t blind to the truth of his words and eventually complied with them.) Rrrgh…yeah, fine. I guess it’s better that way.
Airon: (Seeing that Kei was still somewhat disappointed, he walked over and threw his arm around him to provide him with some reassurance.) You’ll get your chance to shine, Kei. I guarantee it. …Alright, we have our plan and we have about an hour to get it done. Let’s head out!
Kei, Inase, Minto, Taigen, and Nakama: Right!
Their plan now set in motion, Airon and Nakama took off on their designated paths, while the rest of their group continued onward towards the tower, their sights now fixed on the record set by the Fifth Kazekage over forty years ago.
The race is on to beat Gaara’s record!!!
The End
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